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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,314 Views)
AndyFish
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I watched the first Chapter of Dick Tracy last week on TCM-- yikes was this creaky!
Maybe I was just tired-- but this has to be the weakest of the quartet.
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I think so too, Andy. It needed more John Piccori and less Lame One.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Sgt King
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Most would easily agree that the first Dick Tracy serial is weaker that the other three.
For "cops and robbers" serials I think Radio Patrol and Gang Busters are very good but for my money, Dick Tracy serials 2, 3 and 4 are the best ones . . . period.
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Black Tiger
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I enjoyed all four Tracy serials. I'd rank them from favorite to least favorite:

Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. - good mystery villain in the invisible Ghost despite the unfortunate voice choice, superior action, good cliffhangers and some mid-chapter cliffhangers as well, fine fight scene in the negative and a spectacular finish to the villain.

Dick Tracy's G-Men - good villain in master spy Zarnoff, very good action, enjoyable cliffhangers

Dick Tracy Returns - Great villain in good ol' Pa Stark, decent action, some good cliffhangers, some weak

Dick Tracy - Good villain in the Lame One (especially the pulpish section in chapter one when Byron Folger empties a gun into a maniacally laughing Lame One in a dark train car, the subsequent chase through the darkened city streets, and the Lame One branding Folger with a spider symbol before gunning him down), some good stuntwork by George DeNormand, excellent henchman in Moloch (seriously wondering about switching the brains of a cat and a person was inspired), comic relief misfire in Smiley Burnette.
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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As almost always, I agree with everything the Tiger says. He has been in my opinion the best authority on sound serials for many years. Riddle Rider of course is now the reigning expert on the silents, which s a damn sight harder thing to be, what with most of them being MIA.

Speaking of silent serials, am I the only one who thinks it's weird that people praise ones they've never seen? I mean hey, people, how do we know The Green Archer was so great? Not saying it wasn't, and not trying to kick up a fight, but where's the beef, ya know?
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Black Tiger
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Thanks, Paul. The only thing I think I'm really an authority on is getting into trouble B)

You have an excellent point on people praising serials not seen. They may look great on paper, but until you see how they are executed, who is to say how good they are, or not?

Captain America read great in the pressbook chapter synopses Barbour put out. When it finally became available, it was still fun, but it certainly didn't live up to the hype.

I guess whatever is unobtainable always seems desirable.
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I know that's right. Barbour's touting Captain America made the actual film more disappointing than it deserved to be. I'll try to remember that when I rave about or pan currently unattainable movies in the future.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Pa Stark
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Agree with Panzer, and my friend the smoking Tiger head about CAPTAIN AMERICA. I heard so much about how great the fights were, but there are at least seven Republic serials with better fights. What is unusual is Cap seems to get knocked on his ass after every punch, gets up, and gets knocked down again. If someone is ambitious, try counting the number of knockdowns in the 15 chapters.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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mort bakaprevski
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I'm in the minority; I loved CAPTAIN AMERICA.

First of all, it had Lionel Atwill, Lorna Gray (or whatever her name was at the time) & John Davidson.

Secondly, Republic really seemed to throw a lot money at this one. Lots of different locations, rather sumptuous (for Republic) set decorations & a plethora of supporting actors.

One of my favorite musical scores. Yeah, I know a lot of it was stolen, but they stole wisely... & I loved the 1/2 tone trumpet screams!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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What in the name of all that's sacred is a '1/2 tone trumpet scream?'
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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mort bakaprevski
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Well, I don't know how sacred they are... but I'm fond of 'em.

It's where two (or more) trumpets play one half tone apart. It produces a VERY dissonant sound... and played up high (like they are in CA), it sounds like a scream.

The monster theme in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (you know, that five note repetitious phrase) uses this approach on the fourth note, but much lower.
Edited by mort bakaprevski, Sep 14 2009, 12:15 PM.
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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The things you learn on this site! Thanks, Mort. "What in the name of all that's sacred" is a quote from a Peter O'Toole improv in What's New, Pussycat -- a movie I love but have never written about.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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witneyenglish
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Just started watching Jack Armstrong.
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andarius
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Just watched #2 of Batman and Robin - the late John Hart appeared uncredited as 'John' - great serial and my first as a boy of 9!
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I loved it too, and think I was 9, but it wasn't my first. Cody of the Pony Express has that honor, and I actually have a copy of it that I've never watched. That's what I'll do tonight! Chapter One only, of course.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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